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#1 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 05:50 AM

I'm opposed.  The City is big on consultation, but I've seen zero on this idea.  Have we had resident and business meetings?  Are we going to have a re-zoning process?

 

There must BETTER ways to deal with this.

 

The situation we have now is not perfect, but as uncaring as it will seem to some, the idea of having to pack your belongings up every day (for 12 or 13 hours) is the inconvenience that acts as the stick, slightly, to get folks to seek - on their won - a better remedy.

 

A tent city means suddenly your have full-time campers, and presumably all the services they will need brought to the site by the contractor.

 

For those that are most in need, truly immobile, those are ones we need to find permanent, real homes for, not tents.  Let's take the $4.5M budgeted for bike lanes and build the first home.

 

I've made a Facebook page for discussion.


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<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#2 spanky123

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 05:55 AM

Heck has anyone consulted with the homeless people? Topaz park is a ways from the downtown core where most of the homeless 'hang out'. My guess is that you wind up with some people setting up camp at Topaz but most staying where they are and only increasing the City's cost of having to support yet another site with services.



#3 Bingo

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 05:57 AM

Hang on...Topaz Park is a lot closer than taking the family out to the Sooke Potholes for the weekend.

If they put in some fire pits they could have the fire department there on standby in case the marsh mellow roast gets out of hand.


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#4 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 06:04 AM

Topaz park is also the largest park in the city, after Beacon Hill, and supports lots of community uses.

 

Highland Games

Indigenous Soccer Tournament

Vancouver Island Soccer League

The First Christmas Nativity Pageant

Topaz Hockey

Greater Victoria Mixed Slowpitch

Victoria Slopitch Association


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#5 spanky123

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 06:08 AM

Topaz park is also the largest park in the city, after Beacon Hill, and supports lots of community uses.

 

Highland Games

Indigenous Soccer Tournament

Vancouver Island Soccer League

The First Christmas Nativity Pageant

Topaz Hockey

Greater Victoria Mixed Slowpitch

Victoria Slopitch Association

 

Perhaps I wasn't thinking creatively. With all of the events at Topaz, the homeless will be able to solicit funds from spectators.


Edited by spanky123, 24 July 2015 - 06:08 AM.

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#6 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 06:44 AM

screenshot-www.bing.com 2015-07-24 07-14-47.png screenshot-www.bing.com 2015-07-24 07-15-38.png

 

Topaz Park suggested as location for homeless tent city

 

 

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps never thought she would ever be planning to set up a tent city in a city park.

 

But in an effort to both rein in unregulated camping in city parks and help homeless people find more permanent shelter, that’s exactly what’s in the works.

 

“This is the 21st century and we’re in a First World country. Something is not working if a city government is having to say, ‘Oh, where are we going to put our temporary tent city?’ ” Helps said.

 

“Something is fundamentally wrong with this country if we’re having this conversation at the local level.”

 

City staff have identified Topaz Park, the city’s second-largest park after Beacon Hill, as the most likely site for a temporary designated tenting area. While still in its early stages, the plan is to see the city contract with a service provider to manage the site.

 

The hope is to have the designated area up and running by October, if not sooner. People would be able to leave their tents up, rather than having to pack up their belongings each morning, as is required now.

 

The city has been wrestling with what to do with tenting in parks since a 2009 B.C. Supreme Court ruling said that, in the absence of shelter beds, it’s unconstitutional to deny a person the right to pitch a tent in a park. The city has since amended its bylaws to allow people to pitch tents in parks from dusk to dawn.

 

 

 

- See more at: http://www.timescolo...h.K3xabGuJ.dpuf


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#7 RFS

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 07:22 AM

I'm also opposed. This is not what park space is for. Park space is public land and as such is for everyone to use for a variety of activities, not for a small few to permenantly live on.

#8 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 07:28 AM

I like staying with the system we have now.  People have CHOICE where they camp, and the only drawback is they must pack up by 7am.  You know, get up, like the rest of us do.

 

I'd be more than happy to have the city provide a safe area for belongings to be stored.  It looks as though there is something of that type at Our Place. 


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#9 Nparker

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 07:51 AM

Another TERRIBLE idea from a government famous for terrible ideas.


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#10 Dr.Doinglittle

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 07:52 AM

Terrible idea. I live in this area and I fail to see what this will accomplish. And based on what evidence? I feel sorry for nearby homeowners and businesses - its not like QV doesn't already have its fair share of problems.

 

Pray tell what other 'solutions' to homelessness this Council will cook up next.... dedicated shopping cart lanes from Topaz to Pandora?


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#11 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 07:53 AM

Why do we want to encourage tent camping, year round?  Nobody else sleeps in tents all year round.

 

What are the realistic chances that in December, January and February you will not have people using heating devices and fuel that will be dangerous?


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#12 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 07:56 AM

Terrible idea. I live in this area and I fail to see what this will accomplish. And based on what evidence? I feel sorry for nearby homeowners and businesses - its not like QV doesn't already have its fair share of problems.

 

Pray tell what other 'solutions' to homelessness this Council will cook up next.... dedicated shopping cart lanes from Topaz to Pandora?

 

That's my issue too.  Point to the city in North America where this has worked, has been temporary, and has helped transition people away from homelessness.

 

The Greater Victoria Coalition To End Homelessness does not support this.  If they don't, then why do we give them money while continuing on a path they don't like?  At least do one or the other.


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#13 spanky123

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 08:02 AM

Based on the opposition that seems to be rapidly mounting, my guess is that the Mayor backs down quickly on this.

#14 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 08:12 AM

What are the realistic chances that in December, January and February you will not have people using heating devices and fuel that will be dangerous?

 

Or the cold weather protocol kicks in, we turn resources to housing in gyms and churches, and then we pay for services and staff at two locations for a small part of the year.


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#15 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 08:14 AM

Based on the opposition that seems to be rapidly mounting, my guess is that the Mayor backs down quickly on this.

 

23 TC comments, all negative.


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#16 Nparker

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 08:18 AM

23 TC comments, all negative.

Other than Mayor Helps, and perhaps a few others on Council (Isitt, Loveday), who could possibly support this idea? Her Worship is pretty clever; she has to have known this would go over like a lead balloon. I wonder what her REAL plan is? 


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#17 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 08:22 AM

Other than Mayor Helps, and perhaps a few others on Council (Isitt, Loveday), who could possibly support this idea? Her Worship is pretty clever; she has to have known this would go over like a lead balloon. I wonder what her REAL plan is? 

 

It's the safest place to put it (in terms of limited opposition), but it still has no support, except from some social service agencies looking to expand.


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#18 nagel

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 08:40 AM

This is the most ultimate NIMBY issue of all time.



#19 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 08:45 AM

This is the most ultimate NIMBY issue of all time.

 

I'm not NIMBY on it, I'm opposed to the whole concept.

 

Right now, homeless can sleep in parks.  In the parks they want to sleep in, in the type of tent (or no tent) they like, away or near others, or with others for support.  They can pack in drugs or alcohol.  All reports are, they are pretty safe.

 

This concept plans to end all that choice, add a whole bunch of regulation, set up a system where some will be refused or rejected (for noise, drugs, alcohol), add lots of staff cost, and solve very little.

 

It solves many people in many communities complaining about night camping, to be replaced by a few people and businesses in one area seriously affected by all-day and all-night camping.  And it lets homeless sleep in, and give them a day-time home base (they already have one at Our Place).

 

Giving people all-day and all-night camping does not help the problem, it leads to many taking advantage of the system.  Like it or not, we should not be making "street life" easier or more convenient for people.  We need to make it healthy, and safe, and that's about it.  We want people off the street, we do not want to give them more reasons to choose the streets.

 

I see no good reason for this idea.  And I see no examples anywhere else in NA where tent cities have decreased the problems of homelessness.


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<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#20 nagel

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 08:47 AM

I'm not NIMBY on it, I'm opposed to the whole concept.

 

Right now, homeless can sleep in parks.  In the parks they want to sleep in, in the type of tent (or no tent) they like, away or near others, or with others for support.  They can pack in drugs or alcohol.  All reports are, they are pretty safe.

 

This concept plans to end all that choice, add a whole bunch of regulation, add lots of staff cost, and solve very little.

 

It solves many people in many communities complaining about night camping, to be replaced by a few people and businesses in one area seriously affected by all-day and all-night camping.  And it lets homeless sleep in, and give them a day-time home base (they already have one at Our Place).

 

I see no good reason for it.

I didn't mean you.  I mean they're trying to do this because the every park scenario is sparking multiple NIMBY backlashes, leading to a one-stop solution that will be NIMBY'd, followed by what?  Barging out to Discovery Island???



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